


Trouble Sleeping

by mjules



Category: Star Trek (2009)
Genre: Hurt/Comfort, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-02-06
Updated: 2010-02-06
Packaged: 2017-10-07 02:08:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,154
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/60253
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mjules/pseuds/mjules
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Jim always stops by the med bay after a shift.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Trouble Sleeping

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aidara](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aidara/gifts).



Sulu has noticed something.  He wasn’t sure at first, but he sees the pattern now.  He’s just not one hundred percent sure what it means.

 

 

Jim Kirk stays on the bridge a lot.  It’s his ship, he loves it, and while he trusts other people, that only goes so far.  His shifts usually last longer than they strictly should, but even Spock doesn’t bother citing regulations to him anymore.  But he does take breaks, usually when he’s so tired he can barely keep his eyes open.  And every time he goes off shift, he goes to the med bay first.  From reports and from the few times he’s witnessed it himself, Sulu knows that McCoy always gives Kirk something, so it’s probably just that the Captain has trouble sleeping.

 

Which would also explain, probably, the other half of the pattern.  Any time James Kirk walks onto the bridge at the beginning of his shift, Leonard McCoy is already there.  The first time McCoy walked up behind Chekov and glanced at the navigator’s screen without a word, just a thoughtful grunt, Sulu had very hostile thoughts, mostly consisting of, _What business does the Chief Medical Officer have on the bridge anyway?_

 

But when Kirk walks in, McCoy is the first person he looks for, the first person he speaks to.  It’s more than a pattern; it’s a routine.  McCoy will stick around for a few minutes until Jim is settled into the captain’s chair and finally focused on the business of captaining, then he’ll slip away to the med bay and they usually won’t see him again until the next day, when he arrives just five or ten minutes ahead of Kirk getting to the bridge.

 

Chekov has noticed it too, but where Sulu isn’t willing to assign motives without more evidence, Chekov has pet theories.

 

“They are having an affair, Doctor McCoy and the Captain,” he whispers one night after Kirk has finally left the bridge—headed, as always, to the med bay.

 

Sulu chuckles softly and shakes his head.  “They’re best friends.  They were friends all through the Academy.  I think the Captain has trouble sleeping. Doctor McCoy gives him something for it.”

 

Chekov giggles into his hand, and it’s a dirty sound.  It goes straight to places Sulu doesn’t need to be thinking about on the bridge.  “Oh, the Doctor gives him something for it, all right.”

 

Sulu’s not exactly comfortable with Chekov making dirty jokes about their Captain and their CMO, and he changes the subject quickly and awkwardly.  “It’s your turn.”  Their electronic chess game is pulled up on both their consoles, and Chekov just giggles again.

 

“Is checkmate.”

 

“It is no—”  Sulu looks at the board and curses.  “Dammit.  Start a new game.”

 

***

 

Their shift replacements show up on time for once, and Sulu is looking forward to getting back to his room.  It’s probably pretty pathetic that a take-no-prisoners game of chess counts as foreplay with Chekov, but Sulu thinks it’s awesome.  He was pretty sure Chekov thought so too, so he’s confused when Chekov peels off down another hall.

 

“Where are you going?”

 

“I want to see if Doctor McCoy has anything that will help me sleep.”  Chekov’s voice is innocent—too innocent. 

 

“Pavel…”

 

By the time he catches up with Chekov, though, not only is it pointless to try to change his lover’s mind, he kind of wants to know if they’ll find anything.  Kirk only left fifteen minutes before they did, so it’s possible that he’s still there… or maybe he’s not.  Bones’s shift doesn’t end for another ten minutes, though.

 

They approach the med bay quietly, and Chekov shoots Sulu a triumphant grin when they hear the captain’s voice.

 

“Bones—”

 

“Jim, we’re done discussing this.  You’re not going to get addicted to sleep aids.  These are perfectly safe, and you’re not even taking that high a dosage.”

 

Sulu gives Chekov his best _I told you so_ look, but Chekov just shushes him even though he hasn’t said a word.

 

“I don’t want to take them!”

 

“Then don’t take them!  You’re a grown man, Jim, you can sleep on your own.”

 

The Captain’s voice is so quiet they almost can’t understand it, and Sulu finds himself leaning forward, straining to hear.

 

“I can’t, actually.”

 

McCoy sighs, but it’s an audibly different tone than Sulu’s ever heard from the doctor before.

 

“Dammit, Jim.  I’m supposed to be the one—”

 

“Bones, listen to me.  I know.  But I saw the hull crack, and… all I could think about was your blood boiling.”

 

“That’s… romantic.”

 

“Shut up,” Jim grumbles, and Sulu ducks back when he hears footsteps.  Chekov tucks in against him and Sulu steadies him with an arm across his stomach.

 

“Jim, wait.  Dammit, Jim.”  The two have moved enough now that Sulu can see their reflection in the shiny wall and comm screens across from the door.  McCoy is gripping Kirk’s upper arm, standing an arm’s length apart, their postures stiff with tension.  “I didn’t mean… Look, I promise I’ll check on you, okay?”

 

Kirk turns, and Sulu feels like he’s just intruded on a powerfully private moment when he sees the Captain’s face go from angry and defensive to soft and vulnerable.

 

“Being on the bridge when I come on shift in the mornings isn’t enough for me anymore.”  Kirk’s hand comes up and grips the back of McCoy’s neck.  “You need sleep too, you know.”  McCoy opens his mouth, but Kirk speaks over whatever protest he was about to make.  “And not just a nap on one of the cots.  You need _sleep_.” 

 

McCoy sighs, his shoulders slumping in defeat.  “All right.”  He throws up his hands.  “All _right_, Jim.  Fine.  You win.”  He sighs and leans forward, pressing his forehead to Kirk’s.  “My shift ends in five minutes.  I promise I’ll trust Chapel to look after the med bay tonight.  Does that work for you?”

 

Kirk smiles, and Sulu begins to tug Chekov away from the door.  They’ve seen all they need to.  Chekov is going to argue that it was evidence of an affair; Sulu is going to tell him it could just be a very strong, very close friendship.  Chekov hasn’t seen enough, apparently, and as he refuses to move, Sulu looks up in time to see Kirk’s reflection lean forward a few centimeters and press his mouth to McCoy’s.  The doctor doesn’t pull away. If anything, he kisses Kirk back.

 

“It’ll do,” Kirk says quietly, cupping McCoy’s jaw in his palm.  “For now.”

 

This time when Sulu backs away from the med bay door, Chekov comes with him easily.  He’s nearly bouncing by the time they get to Sulu’s room, and as the door closes behind them, Chekov whirls around and grins like he’s just checkmated Sulu in two moves.

 

“I told you so!”

 

Sulu just sighs as he advances toward him.  “Yeah, yeah,” he smiles, kissing Chekov’s temple.  “Checkmate.”


End file.
